Book Excerpt: The Art of Project Management, is featured on Slashdot. This book is authored by Scott Berkun and the sample chapter was an interesting read. You must be thinking, "Not again. Not on Project Management". So much has already been written and will continue in the years to come on the Art of Project Management. Despite that, projects fail everyday. Projects are executed in the same manner as they were probably 5 years ago. Sure reading how to execute projects will not make you a successful one overnight but reading about other's experiences, I believe, will enable you to react to situations better. Probably.
I have come to believe that the journey is more important than the destination itself. The successful delivery of the project does not essentially mean the project's success. The stages of a current project (this journey), will determine your future successes and if your dream team will hang in there.
Some takeaways from this article :
- Master the many ways to say no
- Prioritization - The challenge of prioritization is always more emotional/psychological than intellectual, despite what people say. - This is so true. When projects turn emotional, they lose a sense of purpose.
- The challenge with questioning others is that it can run against the culture of an individual or organization. Some cultures see questioning as an insult or a lack of trust.
- Sheer quantity of effort can be noble and good, but always look for ways to work smart rather than just hard. Be relentless in spirit, but clever and savvy in action.
Another great read on a similar topic - When clients (and bosses) go bad...